In a comprehensive report on the Liberal Democrats’ performance in the 2024 general election, the party has concluded that its refusal to pursue formal pre-election alliances with other left-leaning parties was justified, as Britons’ adeptness at tactical voting made such arrangements unnecessary.
The internal report, led by former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, found that while the party enjoyed its best general election result in a century – rising from 15 to 72 MPs – its overall vote share increased only marginally. However, the party’s strategy of avoiding pacts with other opposition groups was vindicated, with many of its victories coming as voters from other parties switched allegiance to unseat sitting Conservative MPs.
“We believe the 2024 election, which saw a high level of tactical voting, demonstrates that the party is right to not pursue this strategy,” the report stated. Farron echoed this sentiment, arguing that pre-election pacts would have been “an insult to the electorate”, as neither the Lib Dems nor other parties have the right to “offer our voters to another party.”
The report did highlight some challenges for the party’s future, including the need to expand its appeal beyond simply defeating Tories and to develop a message that can also take on Labour. It also noted an overreliance on a small number of key staff who delivered the election strategy.
Nonetheless, the report struck an overwhelmingly positive tone, a stark contrast to the party’s post-2019 assessment, which had described the result as a “high-speed car crash.” A survey conducted for the latest report found that a remarkable 90% of members, activists and others believed the range of “camera-friendly stunts” carried out by leader Ed Davey, such as a bungee jump and water slide, had helped the Lib Dems gain attention.
Farron used the report to call on the party to focus on “pavement politics” – the year-round work of door-knocking and community engagement – arguing that this was the best antidote to the rise of populist parties. “Politics is something you do all year round, not just at election time,” he said. “It’s about immersing yourself in your community, whether you’re elected to do it or not, and serving it all year round on the little issues, on the big issues. And it’s fundamentally about relationships.”
